Modern vehicles such as self-propelled agricultural product applicators typically have long runs of wire, or fiber optic, cables and harnesses, that need to be routed along and secured to the frame. Modem vehicles also have systems for distributing hydraulic fluid, fuel, brake fluid or pressurized air, air conditioning coolant, or other fluids through a series of rigid pipes, often referred to as elongated interconnection members. Collectively such wire, optic fibers, wire and cable harnesses, rigid and flexible fluid lines, and the like are referred to herein as “elongated interconnection members.”
Elongated interconnection members are typically attached periodically along their lengths to the frame, to provide support for long sections, and to secure the elongated interconnection members to the vehicle. In the past, such elongated interconnection members have been secured to the frame using commercially available wire, cable, hose and pipe clamps. Commercially available clamps are typically configured to secure elongated interconnection members having only a single periphery or cross section, i.e. round, and are usable only with elongated interconnection members having essentially identical cross-sectional shapes and similar sizes and peripheries. This requires vehicle manufacturers to carry a substantial inventory of sizes and shapes of clamps for any given vehicle, thereby undesirably driving up inventory stocking and storage costs, and increasing manufacturing complexity.
In the past, elongated interconnection members have also been bundled together with clamps or tie straps in a manner that is not aesthetically pleasing, and is conducive to the elongated interconnection members rubbing together and against the chassis, potentially leading to undesirable wear on the elongated interconnection members and the frame. Having the elongated interconnection members bundles together with one another makes them difficult to keep clean and prone to collecting dirt and corrosive chemicals, which can lead to undesirable corrosion of the elongated interconnection members.
Securing elongated interconnection members to the frame of a self-propelled agricultural applicator is particularly challenging, due to the unique configuration and operating environment of such machines. Such applicators are typically very large machines, carrying payloads weighing thousands of pounds of dry or liquid agricultural chemicals across uneven terrain at high speeds. The elongated interconnection members in such machines are long, and subject to high vibration loads. The operational environment is typically dusty, or muddy, and the chemicals applied tend to be corrosive. Such machines are often so called “high-boy” machines, having a chassis that is elevated several feet above the ground so that rows of partly grown crops can pass under the frame of the machine during operation, making it important that the elongated interconnection members be secured to the frame in locations where they will not become entangled with, or damage the crop passing below the frame. Also, because the frame of a high-boy-type applicator is several feet above the ground, the underside of the frame, and attached elongated interconnection members, are more readily visible than they would be in a typical over the road vehicle. As a result, it is more important to have the elongated interconnection members secured in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing and substantial.
It is desirable to provide an improved arrangement and method for mounting elongated interconnection members to a vehicle frame. It is especially desirable to have an improved mounting arrangement that can be readily reconfigured for securing elongated interconnection members having differing peripheries to a vehicle frame, to reduce inventory costs and facilitate assembly of the vehicle. It is also desirable to have an improved mounting arrangement that can be attached to the frame and/or secure one or more elongated interconnection members without using, or with minimal use of tools.
It is also desirable that such an improved mounting arrangement be rugged enough to meet the demands of service in a self-propelled agricultural applicator. Such rugged demands should desirably include having the capability to secure multiple elongated interconnection members in an array of elongated interconnection members that is structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. It is also desirable that an improved mounting arrangement be capable of securely mounting multiple elongated interconnection members in a spaced-apart array that precludes the lines from rubbing against one another or the frame, and also facilitates washing and cleaning of the elongated interconnection members to remove dust, mud, debris and chemical residue. It is further highly desirable that an improved mounting arrangement facilitate installation of the elongated interconnection members in the vehicle, by supporting them in the desired position prior to the desired spaced-apart arrays of elongated interconnection members being secured in position.